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Follow on Google News | Juan Hinojos Zapien: "Fighting the Good Fight"Zapien, his siblings, and his mother immigrated from San Francisco Del Oro, Mexico to Phoenix when he was 2-years-old. They were undocumented. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was created on June 15, 2012. This allowed undocumented immigrants under the age of 31 protection from deportation, as well as the right to work lawfully and attend school. Donald Trump attacked DACA during his 2016 presidential campaign (https://time.com/ "When he decided to run on that platform, it was really scary for me," Zapien said. Zapien said he viewed politics as a route to supporting his community, because he was intimately familiar with the consequences of anti-immigrant legislation. In 2010, the Arizona legislature signed SB 1070 into law. Immigrants were required to carry identifying documentation and present them when requested by law enforcement or face detainment. According to the National Immigration Law Center, the law was created because legislators believed "the existence of the United States as a nation was being threatened by unauthorized immigration. (https://www.nilc.org/ The NILC said the law's supporters believed that the threat immigrants had on the United States could only be halted by strict enforcement of immigration laws. "I remember when it was signed and announced. Our teacher had it playing on the TV in sixth grade, and I remember my friends breaking down, because they were now fearing that their parents were going to be deported or detained," Zapien said. What Zapien doesn't remember is his life in San Francisco Del Oro, but he does remember his mother being overwhelmed by Phoenix. His mother didn't speak English, requiring Zapien and his siblings to help her navigate the professional world. "You have to grow up much more quickly than everyone else, because you also have to make sure that your parents are taken care of when it comes to the English world," Zapien said. The maturity Zapien developed because of his childhood prepared him to navigate life as a first-generation college student. "I didn't have the luxuries that a lot of other students had," Zapien said. Those luxuries included having a parent familiar with navigating university life. Zapien added that while navigating the university was overwhelming at first, he said he felt supported by his peers and the administration. "They've made big strides at making folks who are first-generation, regardless of whether you're Hispanic or not, feel included and feel welcomed," Zapien said. During his time at ASU, Zapien was able to secure a position working for Sen. Mark Kelly's 2020 campaign. He remained involved in Kelly's campaign work for 2-and-a-half years. Taylor Rogers was the Outreach and Constituent Services Representative during the Kelly campaign, and would later work alongside Zapien. "His personality is so vibrant and gregarious. And I didn't even know that I would be working with him, but I immediately met him and felt his warmth," Rogers said. Rogers said Zapien kept spirits high amongst his colleagues. She added that even when morale was low in the office, Zapien kept everyone together. "In a high stress environment, you need someone who's super charismatic and bubbly," Rogers said. Angélica César attained a bachelor's in U.S. and Mexican Regional Immigration Policy and Economy, political science, and Latina studies at ASU. César met Zapien at ASU during a sorority event. They both also had internships at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which had them working together at Capitol Hill. "Juan is somebody who is very driven. He's someone who I find to be very compelling, because of his intelligence and his ability to understand complex issues," César said. Currently, Zapien works as a policy advisor and LGBTQ+ community liaison for Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. He brought his unique background and personality to Gallego's staff. According to the Phoenix New Times, activists have criticized Gallego for neglecting access to affordable housing in Phoenix. During her yearly "State of the City" speech, protestors stood outside her hotel and beat a piñata with her name on it. This followed after residents in three mobile home parks across the valley faced eviction and displacement. "The mayor sided with greedy landlords instead of the people. So who does she represent? That's why the people are out here protesting," Contrastly, César said Phoenix's support of Latino and immigrant communities has improved over time, balancing out the criticism of her housing policies. "It's been refreshing to see. There hasn't been any significant pushes to continue to police immigrant communities in the same way," Angélica César However, she added that there is room for improvement. She said extending more programs to communities in need, and turning Phoenix into a sanctuary city would all improve the city's support of Latino and immigrant residents. "She's very, very, very smart. And I think passionate about serving folks and really just making sure what the city is doing now is a benefit in the long term," Zapien said about Gallego. He said his favorite part of working in Gallego's staff is the "human spirit" aspect. He said he loves to connecting with Phoenix's community. Zapien said he uses his position to uplift those who have similar or different backgrounds to his. "What we really want is equality and equity across the board. And to me, that's not a radical idea," Zapien said. End
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